David Maxwell Fyfe’s year at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials as pre-eminent British prosecutor provided him with a unique insight into the way in which humanity had degraded itself over years of barbarity, and a determination to put in place a living instrument of law to prevent its’ repetition. In writing of his beliefs, he often quoted poetry to reinforce his message. His quotation of Rupert Brooke’s sonnet at Nuremberg was the starting point for our song cycle.

We have sought to match his words of inspiration with words that inspired him,

poetry of his youth that conjured an idyll which he sought to restore.

In the accompanying films, these words appear on screen to represent what was in his mind.

We have added a Prologue and Epilogue to frame his story with our own interpretative words,